Zihar and spiritual pairing with Prophet

Zihar is a term to describe a situation in which a married man calls his wife, his mother. In Quran, it is mentioned that people who do that, have to pay penalty before they can resume relationship with their wives. Why would a serious believer and a companion of the prophet call his wife his mother except for confusion about his understanding about some ayahs of Quran. Lets review this concept in Quran.

Quran says that the wives of the prophet are mothers of the believers. This case is for those women who are physically wedded to the prophet. Any woman who dedicates her soul to the prophet and become a spiritual pair to him, does not have any physical relationship with the prophet and therefore does not become the mother of her husband. The below Ayahs will make this concept clearer:

O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee your wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whose (relationship) you possess rightfully, whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her nafs to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her;- this only for thee, and not for the believers (at large); We know what We have appointed for them as to their wives and those (whose relationships) they possess rightfully;- in order that there should be no difficulty for thee. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

There is a special case mentioned in this Ayat about a believing woman who dedicates her nafs/psyche to the prophet. This woman as a special case which is not for other believers, can be made a pair with the prophet. This pairing of the woman with prophet can be a wedding if the prophet wills it, and of course if the woman is single. If the woman is not single, this pairing will be spiritual only, without affecting the marital life of the woman in any way. The spiritual pairing will be for the advancement of belief of the woman. This spiritual pairing is the special case mentioned in the Ayat for the prophet, as marrying a single woman is not a special case and any believing man can marry a single woman.

Now lets consider that the husband of the wife who made a spiritual pair with the prophet, did not understand this concept and he assumed that his wife has become his mother as per Ayat 33:6 (The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives/pairs are their mothers )النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ

Therefore this man called his wife his mother and their family life was disturbed. The woman obviously was disturbed and she complained to Allah

Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who pleads with thee concerning her husband and carries her complaint to Allah. and Allah hears the arguments of you both. For Allah hears and sees (all). If any men among you declare their wives (calling them mothers), they cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And in fact they use strange words and falsehood, but truly Allah is forbearing and forgiving.

Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body, nor has He made your wives/pairs whom ye declare (by Zihar) your mothers. nor has He made your called ones your sons. Such is (only) your words by your mouths. But Allah tells the Truth, and He shows the (right) way.

Behold! When you (the prophet) said to the one who had received the favor of Allah and your favor. “Retain your wife and fear Allah; you hide in your heart which Allah is about to make manifest and you fear people, but it is more fitting that you should fear Allah.” Then when Zaid completed from her requirements, We made her a (spiritual) pair with you (the prophet). In order that there may be no difficulty to the believers in matter of ‘ pairs/wives of their called ones’, when they complete requirements with them, and Allah’s command is bound to happen.

In the above ayat, Prophet tells Zaid, to hold on to his wife and fear Allah and don’t fear people. The prophet further tells Zaid, that Zaid is hiding in his nafs something which is bothering him, however, Zaid should not fear people but fear Allah. Traditional tafasirs/explanations of this Ayat, don’t do justice to prophet’s exemplary character. People of even ordinary character when they have feelings for a particular woman, and if the woman gets married to someone else, they let that feeling go, which is an appropriate thing to do. To imagine, that the prophet was harboring secret feelings for wife of a brother muslim, is insulting to the exemplary character of the prophet.

This concept is not what the Ayat is about. Ayat is telling that Zaid was disturbed that his wife if made a spiritual pair with the prophet, she could become his mother. However, the prophet told him to hold on to his wife in marriage and don’t fear people as the pairing with the prophet is spiritual only and does not affect his marriage in anyway. Understanding of this concept by Zaid, was the requirement after which there is no difficulty on a believer to have doubts on his relationship with his wife.

It is not lawful for you (the Prophet pbuh), women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract you, except any which you possess with your right/rightfully possess and Allah watches over all things.

This Ayat is not actually about timings in history, its a instruction for the Prophet to marry within the community and not to marry women outside those mentioned in 33:50. If a religious exemplary model for the society such as the prophet, goes on to marry exotic and foreign women, though legitimately, some people may get the idea that prophet is a womanizer and marries for the beauty of women. Therefore the instruction for the prophet is to marry believing women within the community. This restriction is not imposed on believers in general.

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2 thoughts on “Zihar and spiritual pairing with Prophet”

Za-ha-Ra = to appear, become distinct/clear/open/manifest, come out, ascend/mount, get the better of, know, distinguish, be obvious, go forth, enter the noon, neglect, have the upper hand over, wound on the back.
zahara – to help/back/support in the sense of collaboration.
zihar – was a practice of the pre-Islamic days of the Arabs by which the wife was kept in suspense, sometimes for the whole of her life having neither the position of a wife nor that of a divorced woman free to marry elsewhere. The word zihar is derived from zahr meaning back.

zahara (vb. 1)
(ظهر) thahara 3rd. m. sing. perf. act.
6:151 …and do not come near foulness, what is open of it or hidden…
7:33 …My Lord has forbidden all lewd action, what is obvious from them and what is subtle…
9:48 …however, the truth ultimately manifests, and God’s plan is carried out…
24:31 …and that they should not show-off their beauty except what is apparent…
30:41 Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea…

(يظهروا) yathharoo 3rd. m. pl. impf. act. acc.
9:8 How is it that when they prevail upon you they disregard all ties…
18:20 For surely if they discover you they would stone you to death…
18:97 So they were not able to ascend it, nor could they make a hole in it.

(يظهروا ) yathharoo 3rd. impf. m. pl. juss.
24:31 …or the children who do not know of the private parts of women…

(ظاهر) thahira pcple. act.
6:120 And avoid open sins and hidden ones…
13:33 …are you informing Him of what He does not know in the Earth or is it with open words?
18:22 …so do not debate in them except with clear proof…
30:7 They only know what is manifest of the worldly life…

(ظاهرة) thahiratan act. f. sing. acc.
31:20 …and He has showered you with His blessings, both apparent and hidden…
34:18 …in them visible towns…

() thahireena 40:29 “O my people, you have the upper hand today in the land…
() thahireena 61:14 …so they became conquering.
() alththahiru 57:3 He is the first and the last, and the outermost/apparent, and the innermost/hidden…
() thahiru 57:13 …and outside it will be torment.

(ظهير) thaheeran n.m.
17:88 …and even if they were to one another supporting/helping.
25:55 …and the disbeliever is ever supporting against his Lord.
28:17 …in return for Your blessings upon me, I will never be a supporter of the guilty ones.”
28:86 …so do not be supporting of the rejecters.
34:22 …They possess no partnership therein, nor does He need any of them as a helper.
66:4 …and the angels after that are the aiders.

(الظهيرة) alththaheerati n.f.
24:58 …and when you put off your clothes from midday…

thahr n. m. nom./acc. (pl. thuhoor)
2:101 …a group of those who were given the scripture placed God’s scripture behind their backs…
2:189 …and piety is not that you would enter a homes from their backs…
3:187 …but they threw it behind their backs and traded it away for a cheap price…
6:31 …and they are carrying their sins on their backs…
6:94 …and you have left behind your backs the things which We gave you…
6:138 …and livestock whose backs are forbidden…
6:146 …We prohibited their fat except what is attached to their backs…
7:172 And your Lord took for the children of Adam from their loins/backs, their progeny…
9:35 …and their foreheads and sides and backs will be branded with it…
21:39 …they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs…
35:45 …He would not leave on the back of it any creature…
42:33 …He stills the wind, so they remain motionless on its back/surface…
43:13 That you may sit on their backs…
84:10 And as for he who is given his record behind his back.
94:3 Which weighed down your back.

() thihriyyan n. m.
11:92 …do you regard my family dearer to you than God, that you have cast Him as a thing behind your backs?

(يظاهروا) yuthahiroo 3rd. m. pl. impf. act.
9:4 …and did not back/support anyone against you…
33:4 …nor has He made your wives, when you divorce, saying, ‘Be as my mother’s back,’
58:2 …who say, regarding their wives, ‘Be as my mother’s back,’ they are not truly their mothers…
58:3 …who say, regarding their wives, ‘Be as my mother’s back,’ and then retract what they have said…

3rd. m. sing. impf. act.
() liyuthhirahu 9:33 …to make it expose all other systems…
2nd. m. pl. impf. () tuthhiroona 30:18 …and in the evening and when you enter midday.
() yuthhira 40:26 …or that he will cause evil to appear in the land.”
48:28 …so that it would expose all other systems…
() liyuthhirahu 61:9 …so that it will expose all other systems…
() yuthhiru 72:26 Knower of the unseen, He does not reveal His knowledge to anyone.

Salam Brother,
In Ayat 58:2, these meaning out of those you have indicated above seems to be closest:

‘become distinct/clear/open/manifest’

My understanding is that these men who are mentioned, they make it distinct, clear, open and manifest on their women that they consider them to be their mothers. However Allah says that these words out of their mouths are false.

The other meaning of root word ‘Z H R’ for ‘back up and support does not fit in 58:2-3 considering the wording and theme of the Ayas.